William Marley was surety on the marriage bond of Mark G. Sharp dated 22 May 1826 to marry Catherine Nelson. Typically, the surety was a close relation of the bride.
In the 1830 census for Halifax County, VA, Mark Sharp was age 50 to 60 (b 1770-1780) and the female of the household (presumably Catherine) was age 40 to 50 (born 1780-90). This age suggests that she was a widow at the time of the marriage.
The eldest William Marley is reported to have died in 1794 at the age of 40. He is said to have married Catherine Campbell in 1771 in Orange County, NC. This would permit Catherine Nelson to have been a daughter of William and Catherine Marley.
Having died over 30 years earlier, the eldest William was not the surety. He had a son William, whose tombstone gives his lifespan as 1783-1859. In the absence of the father, it would not have been unusual for a brother to act as surety.
Looking for clues in Randolph County documents which might identify or refer to (1) Mark Sharp, (2) Catherine Marley or Catherine Nelson, (3) the probable deceased husband of Catherine surnamed Nelson, and (4) William Marley